Happy New Year
by VibeQuake
Summary: As the minutes tick down to a brand new year, Teddy and Piper's time together inadvertently turns into a serious talk that will either make or break their relationship. Takes place between Teddy's Adulthood and Hazel's Mission.


Teddy and Piper sat on the grass outside O.W.C.A. HQ, watching Teddy's parents play with baby Quinn, who was now ten months old. Unbeknown to the other, they were both picturing themselves playing with their own child on the grass over there. _Maybe one day,_ they both thought.

"It's been an eventful year, hasn't it." Piper let out a long sigh of contentment. "Mostly just in the February, to be honest. But after everything that happened in that one month, I'm just glad we're still together."

Teddy took her paw and squeezed it reassuringly. "Yeah, we made it through all the danger and grief. It was tough, but you're right: at least we're together."

Piper attempted a smile but it fell flat. "How often do you think about Mayfair?"

Teddy hesitated, pressing his fist against his beak in a gesture of agitation that Piper recognised immediately. "I miss her too, Pipes," he murmured, not entirely answering the question. "A lot."

There was something in Teddy's tone and words that Piper didn't like. "Yeah, well," she muttered bitterly, "she's the girl who took your first kiss and who you almost chose to be with forever."

Her mate let go of her paw abruptly and stared at her in shock. "P-Pipes...! You're...jealous of Mayfair...?"

"No!" Piper snapped quickly, her cheeks turning red. She averted her eyes. "No. Not...Not anymore."

"When were you jealous of May, Piper?" Teddy asked quietly.

Registering Teddy's use of Mayfair's nickname and her own full name, Piper cleared her throat to suppress a lump in her throat. "Many times, Teddy. When she took your first kiss, when you sacrificed me to rescue her from the pit in Maze Mayhem, when you kept sneaking looks at her in the cafeteria, when you arrived with her at the park, every time you held hands, when you brushed me off on my birthday to hang out with her without a second thought. I was ten times more jealous of her than I was of Madeline, and that's saying something."

Teddy didn't respond for a while, so Piper risked a glance at him and was shocked to find him...crying. His head was bowed, his eyes were closed, and his shoulders were hunched, tears dripping down his face. Suddenly feeling a horrible ache in her chest and stomach, Piper also began to cry as she clutched Teddy tightly and buried her face in his shoulder.

"I shouldn't be jealous," Piper croaked. "I should never have been so jealous. I should have fought for you honestly and not spent so much time obsessing over the possibility of you choosing Mayfair or Madeline over me. I...It's just that...I've always loved you. We've been friends since we were tiny and I've loved you for almost the same amount of time. I...I almost thought I was entitled to you. Which is S-SO bad... I'm so sorry, Teddy. You deserve better than me."

"No, Pipes," Teddy said unexpectedly, his voice slightly hoarse. "The fact that you were jealous shows me how much you love me. But the intensity of our jealousy...is a bit of a problem. Be honest with me: are you still jealous of Mayfair and/or Madeline?"

Piper wanted to lie; the truth was going to be painful. Could she tell it? She hoped so, but it was going to be tough. Especially for a girl like Piper, who always suppressed her emotions almost to the point of pain.

"Not...jealous," Piper murmured. "Afraid."

Teddy turned to look at her properly, frowning slightly in concern. "Afraid?"

"Just look at you," sighed Piper. "You're handsome, loyal, super kind, super skilled, sensitive... I don't deserve you."

"You're all of that and more," Teddy said firmly, tilting Piper's head so that the two made eye contact. "I chose you and I will never regret that choice. I didn't choose Mayfair and I didn't choose Madeline. Out of the three of you, I knew I loved you. It may have taken me a while to see it, but I know you're my soulmate. I'm sure I've always known, deep down. You're the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. I love you, Piper, daughter of Ohio and India."

Piper let out a laugh, half choking on tears. "And I love you, Teddy, son of Perry and Priya."

He took her into his arms and they sat back, watching the massive LED countdown display ticking down to midnight.

"Did Mayfair ever tell you that she had a twin sister who died when they were a month old?" Piper asked after a while.

Teddy nodded slowly. "She did, yeah. Why?"

"Her sister's name was Paige." Piper closed her eyes. "I want a child named Paige, spelt with an 'i' for a girl and without for a boy. That way, we can still honour Mayfair without burdening our daughter with the memories and the dull grief of our lost friend."

To Piper's surprise, Teddy laughed softly. "And you thought you didn't deserve me."

Piper managed a real smile.

"You're beautiful, Piper," Teddy said, kissing the top of his mate's head. "On the inside AND on the outside."

As Piper was choking up, they heard a verbal countdown begun, with Hazel's voice rising above the crowd: "Ten! Nine! Eight!"

Across the grass, Teddy watched Perry and Priya sat up straight, holding baby Quinn in the latter's lap. Haze was bouncing excitedly nearby, holding several glowsticks in her paws.

"Five! Four! Three! Two! One!"

Teddy and Piper both moved to kiss at the same time, holding each other tightly in their arms.

"The start of our new life together," Teddy whispered, his voice almost completely lost among the cheers from the other agents.

"Happy new year, Teddy."

"Happy new year, Piper." Teddy beamed and gazed into the face of the most beautiful girl in the world. "I love you."

"I love you too."

And so, the two young mates started their new year off perfectly, the first of many new years to come.


End file.
